1 December 2017

Newsletter Articles

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Dear Parents/Carers and Community

This is our final newsletter for the school year and I would like to congratulate and thank each and every person who has contributed to our school throughout 2017. This year has been a year of realigning our school to the systemic and regional priorities of Reading, Writing, Australian Curriculum and Positive Behaviour Learning. We are in a great position to continue this work next year and I look forward to your continued support of your child’s education.

We celebrated with a number of our school volunteers in the last fortnight and I would like to thank my staff for providing this opportunity, our volunteers appreciated this. Volunteering helps us in many ways across our school. From the inkind contributions, sending along the needed resources, reading daily or weekly with our students, helping out in the library, assisting with school events – many hands make lighter work and we look forward to your continued support in 2018. I would particularly like to thank Patrice Evans and Sandra Annert for their co-ordination of the Volunteers Morning Tea held annually in Term 4.

As the year progresses, there are a range of things that happen to set up for the next school year. Staffing a school of our size is often complex and takes time. For this reason, as per previous years the release of student class teachers will be available in the new year. The initial classes are Pre Day 8 and are subject to change up until the third week of the new school year. This is departmental procedure and I thank you for your understanding and patience as we work through these processes.

I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with some important messages before the holidays.

2018 School Leadership Team Changes

I can now confirm that Mr Christoper Wicks has been promoted to Principal at East Ayr State School from Term 4 and we congratulate him on this appointment. Recently we have undertaken the recruitment and selection process statewide for the Acting Deputy Principal Position. I am pleased to announce Mr Cameron Tod will continue as Acting Deputy Principal at The Willows State School for Semester 1.

Mrs Debbie McCoy has been replacing Mrs Amanda Souter. We welcome Mrs Souter who returns to us in 2018 as Deputy Principal. Mrs McCoy will continue at The Willows as classroom teacher. I would like to thank Mrs McCoy for her dedication and outstanding support throughout the 2017 school year and look forward to visiting her classroom in 2018.

Mrs Sara Meikle remains on Long Service Leave. Mrs Kym Clay will continue in the role of Acting Head of Curriculum – Teaching and Learning. Mrs Clay has been acting in this role for 2017 and will continue to do a fantastic job as we move toward the full implementation of Australian Curriculum and embed our coaching framework delivered by our Supprot Teachers (Literacy/Numeracy) as support for student learning.

Recently we advertised for and undertook a recruitment and selection process to appoint a Head of Curriculum – Student Services (Positive Behaviour Learning focus). I am pleased to announce that Mrs Kate Haines has been offered and accepted this position. We welcome her to our 2018 Leadership Team.

Farewells

This year we farewell the following teachers and staff members. We thank each and every one of them for their contributions to our school and wish them all the very best in their new schools.

• Mrs Nicole Lindgren (Cranbrook State School)and is undertaking the STLaN role
• Mr Kyle Sanim will continue as Behaviour Support Teacher (Cranbrook State School)
• Miss Chloe Bateman (Labrador State School - Gold Coast)
• Mrs Angela Johnson (Ferny Hills State School - Brisbane)
• Mrs Alison Daly (North Shore State School -Burdell)

Mrs Austin, Mrs Meikle and Mrs McClintock will be enjoying some much deserved Long Service Leave in 2018. We wish you a safe and happy and relaxed time on your adventures!

In 2018 we welcome the following teachers who have been transferred/appointed to The Willows State School:

Mrs Nadine Outrim, Mrs Melissa Condie, Miss Julia McLennan, Mrs Angela Faulks, Mrs Kylie Faherty and Miss Micarla Payne. I am sure each of you will make these teachers feel very welcome at our school.

2017 Learning Achievements

This year our school has transitioned to the full complement of Australian Curriculum. We have re-installed the 8 Key Learning Areas and provided a significant investment in the professional learning and development of our teachers. Our students have thrived in the renewed approaches to Teaching and Learning across Prep-6 which is captured in the school opinion surveys and also in the Level of Achievement Data in Semester 1 and the upcoming Semester 2 reporting period.

Across our school we have renewed focus on the greatest gift that we can give to any student – the ability to read and comprehend text. Reading is a critical part of our school improvement journey and I encourage each and every child to continue to read over the holidays!

Regionally our reading benchmarks are set and as a school we have been chasing these benchmarks from the very first day of school. As a school learning community we can be very proud of the student progress, achievement and improvement. Well done to all students, staff and parents!

Across Prep-6 we have seen innovation and fun in our learning. We have written and presented stories, articles, persuasive letters, debates and a range of other fantastic writing across the school. We have measured, counted, computed and problem solved in maths and science. We have been engaged in technologies (designing, making and appraising wind ornaments, pinballs, environmental housing for animals as examples). We have designed and performed our own drama plays, musical songs and compositions, dance pieces and along the way we have seen students enjoy these subjects and most importantly reflect and discuss their learnings. Congratulations to all of our students and staff on a great year of learning – The Willows Way!

As the year closes, we farewell our Year 6 students and wish them all the best at high school. We look forward to celebrating the end of primary school with them at next week’s Graduation, Awards and End of Year Celebrations.

We transition our newly elected and appointed Student Leaders and look forward to the 2018 school year. We congratulate the following students on their position for 2018.

In closing, I would like to thank each and every student, teacher, non-teaching staff member and parent/carer and community member for their sustained effort to make our school an outstanding State School. Thankyou for being part of it! See you in 2018.

Kind regards

Helen McCullough
Principal

DATE CLAIMER

EFTPOS PAYMENTS

Due to end of year financial processing there will be no EFTPOS payments taken after 9am Wednesday 6th December. Cash payments will still be accepted.

KEEP A WATCH ON OUR SCHOOL THESE HOLIDAYS

Parents and students can help take care of our school by reporting any suspicious after-hours activity to School Watch on 13 17 88. By keeping an eye out we can work together to create a safer school community and help to reduce vandalism, theft and arson in our school. If you see something suspicious, please don’t intervene. Call the School Watch number and let the local police or State Government Protective Security Service deal with the matter.

FACEBOOK

The P&C will be keeping the Facebook page up to date. Follow us at The Willows State School P&C for ongoing information.

YEAR 6 GRADUATION

Just a reminder regarding final events for our year 6 students.

Year 6 Graduation Ceremony

When: Wednesday the 6th of December 9.00 – 11.30am
Where: The Carol Buchanan Centre (TCBC)

Reminder that RSVPs have been collected and seating has been organised accordingly. Seating for families will be behind our students. A photographer will be present on the day and will take photos of the students. These photos will be available for purchase from the library when students return for the Grad Dance.

Reminder dress code for students – All year 6 students must be in their senior shirts and school blue shorts. If your student does not have a senior shirt they must wear The Willows school shirt. Sandshoes should not be in fluro colours as this will be noticeable when they cross the stage. Blue shorts as per school dress code must be worn i.e. no football shorts or bike pants. Our year 6 students will be representing our school to the community.

Year 6 Graduation Dance

When: Wednesday the 6th of December 5.30 – 8pm
Where: The Carol Buchanan Centre (TCBC)

The dress code for this event is smart casual. We do not wish families to spend a fortune on formal attire. We ask that all students be modestly dressed with appropriate footwear for dancing.

Year 6 Fun Day at the Barra Farm

When: Thursday the 7th of December 8.45 to 3pm
Where: The Barra Farm
Transport: Students will be transported to and from the Barra Farm by bus.

What to bring: Ensure you have the following: Bag, full water bottle, hat, towel, togs, swim shirt for swimming, change of clothes, sunscreen, morning tea, spending money for purchase of extra drinks if they wish, closed in shoes and thongs. Students are not required to wear their uniform but should be modestly dressed.

YEAR 6 CAMP FOR 2018

Next year our Year 6 students (currently Year 5) will be the leaders of the school and we will be preparing them for transition into High School for 2018. Part of this preparation includes highlighting important skills such as team building, social skills, problem solving and goal setting. We do this with our Year 6 camp at Echo Creek.

Students are away for 2 nights and 3 days and participate in the following activities: low ropes and team building, laser tag, freshwater snorkelling, challenge course, under the stars movie night and damper by the fire. All of these activities are run by camp staff and our teachers will also do the team building and goal setting activities. Students will travel by bus and they will be housed in bunk style accommodation with meals included.

This camp will be in Term 1 2018. There will be two groups going.

Group 1 – Leave Monday the 5th of March and return on Wednesday the 7th of March 2018.

Group 2 – Leave Wednesday the 7th of March and return on Friday the 9th of March 2018.

An initial non-refundable deposit of $50 was due on the 30th of November 2017. (This will secure your child’s place)

• A second payment of $100 will be due on the 7th of February 2018.
• A final payment of approximately $90 will be due on the 21st of February 2018. (Full payment must be made by this date).

If you have not secured your child’s place on the camp please contact the office to do so before the end of the year.

OUR GRADUATING YEAR 6 STUDENTS FOR 2017

Congratulations to all of our year 6 students. We are very proud of every one of them and their many successes and achievements over the years. We will honour those achievements at our Graduation Ceremony and watch them cross the stage for the very last time. You have all contributed to “The Willows Family” and you will be greatly missed. We wish you all the best and know that each one of you will continue to grow, learn and achieve.

All the best graduating class of 2017 – We will miss you.

LOST PROPERTY

Lost property will be displayed on Monday 4TH December from the start of school until end of second break. Please remind your student to go and have a look if they have lost anything this term. All un-named property at the end of the day will be sent to a charity.

STUDENT BANKING

Just a reminder that there is no student banking next week. The starting date for 2018 student banking will be advised next year.

MEDICATION

All medication held at the school needs to be collected by 3pm Friday 8th December.

If your child is taking a daily medication at school (eg. Ritalin), please make sure that you call into the office the week before school commences to fill out the appropriate paperwork and drop off the medication to be held in the office. We will require the medication to be in the original box with the chemist label with the student’s name and dosage. We will not be able to dispense any medication to students without this paperwork or correct labelling of medication. There will be no exceptions. It is an Education Queensland requirement that all medication is labelled with the child’s name and correct dosage.

DRESS CODE

At this school we take great pride in our uniform and expect students to show this by wearing it every day. Our school colours are gold, jade and navy. School polo shirts are available from a number of distributors such as: Tropic T-Shirts, Georgio Clothing, Cueldee and Lowes. Students wear navy shorts or skirt/skort as appropriate. Girls wear shorts or skorts for physical education classes and other sports activities

Sports Shirts - Children are allowed to wear House Shirts each Wednesday only.

Hats - All students must have a brimmed hat that matches the school colours and wear it at all times when in the sun.

Shoes and Socks - All students must wear lace-up or velcro closed-in shoes with short white socks at all times while in the school grounds.

Jewellery - The wearing of earrings, chains, wristbands and bangles can pose a danger to students during a range of normal activities at school such as running at lunch, playing sport and group activities. As a result the only allowable jewellery is plain gold or silver ear studs, on the ear lobe, sleepers or plain gold or silver earrings (no larger than a sleeper), on the ear lobe, watches and medical bracelets and chains

Make up and nail polish - Make up and nail polish are not permitted to be worn during the normal school day.

Hair colour - Hair may only be coloured using natural colours during normal school days. The use of coloured hair sprays and dyes is only acceptable for special events such as interschool sports events and crazy hair day fundraising events. Parents and carers will be notified of these events through the school newsletter.

LIBRARY NEWS

Christmas Book Fair

Our annual Christmas Book Fair was a great success. A big thank you to Michelle Wooster and all the families who purchased from the wide selection of books sent to our school by Scholastic.

All profits go directly to our school library to purchase new books and resources.

Overdue Library Books

Please return all overdue library books. Lost or damaged books must be paid for at the front office. Be aware that students are required to have a zip up, waterproof library bag to borrow from our library.

Kind regards,

Sarah Platt (Teacher Librarian)

PARENT NEWSLETTER FROM THE GUIDANCE OFFICER

To all the Parents of Prep students in 2018

Getting your child set for Prep

Starting school can be an exciting but stressful time for you and your child. For some children it may be the first time that they have been away from their parents. They may be going into a strange environment with unfamiliar people and things around them.

There are some simple steps you can take to help make your child’s time at school more enjoyable and relaxed.

Encourage your child to be independent by helping them get used to:

• putting on and doing up his or her shoes
• eating and drinking without help (opening lunchboxes, wrapping and unwrapping school lunches and drinking from drink bottles)
• caring for and putting away play things
• work with your child to develop his or her communication skills.

Help your child to:

• make his or her own needs known
• use appropriate greetings
• respond verbally when spoken to.

Familiarise your child with the school environment and routine by:

• driving or walking by the school a few times so that the school becomes a familiar place
• attending an orientation program or open day so you can meet your child’s teacher and see the classroom
• showing your child where to put his or her things, such as a school bag and hat
• making sure your child knows how to get home from school safely or where to wait for you in the afternoon or where to go for after-school care
• visiting the school, if possible, when other children are there so that your child can get used to the number of children, the playground and the movement of children around school grounds
• introducing your child to other children in the neighbourhood who will be attending the same school
• asking the school what equipment and materials are needed such as school bag, library bag and hat (most schools will have a list).
• make sure all possessions are clearly labelled with your child’s name
• checking with your pre-Prep provider (kindy, childcare) about how they can help children make a smooth transition to school
• encourage children to understand that teachers are at school to help.
• going to the toilet independently
• using a handkerchief or tissue
• using playground equipment safely
• carrying his or her own bag
• identifying his or her own belongings.

I hope you all have a wonderful break. I will be at The Willows State School again 2018.

Narelle Thomas – Guidance Officer

CHAPPY CHAT

Thank you for your contribution to the Concert BBQ on Wednesday. It’s always lovely to see The Willows families get together.

Merry Christmas!

I hope and pray for you all to stay safe and enjoy the next few weeks.

Week 10 will see exciting events including the Christmas Assembly on the last day. Students that don’t participate in Religious Instruction will be provided an alternative activity to enjoy during this time.

Enjoy the season, see you in 2018!

Chappy Libbie

P&C NEWS

2017 Its A Wrap!

Wow! What a year! We have much to celebrate and be proud of at The Willows State School and in our P&C. Our School Strategic Plan has been endorsed and is already in action, our P&C has grown in strength, and we’re very excited to have donated $100,000 towards the school for two new classroom sets of computers and some new Smart Boards!

Thank you to everyone who has supported us, followed our fundraising efforts, helped out, and been part of our school and P&C throughout the year.

Election Sausage Sizzle

Our Sausage Sizzle at the state election polling booth here at our school raised over $1000 towards our school. Thanks to everyone who stopped by for a chat and a sausage, drink or some chocolate slice.

2018 Book Packs

Have you sorted your bookpacks for 2018 yet? We have over 300 orders so far – it’s quick, easy, great prices, and supports your P&C! Many families have received their bookpacks already, with heaps of time to cover and label everything.

Username: thewi003
Password: studentpack

You can find more information on our Facebook page.

Sticky Labels and Book Covers

Have you discovered personalised sticky labels or slip on book covers yet? These make labelling and setting up for next year so easy. Best of all, we have partnered with online stores who will donate part of every sale back to the school!

See our Facebook page for details – it’s as easy as entering the right code at checkout, but each site is slightly different, so follow our guide on Facebook.

It’s a great way to make sure your children don’t lose books, clothes, water bottles and much more, while helping the school.

SchoolBuy

Do you shop online for groceries, clothes, or other items? SchoolBuy is a website that links to hundreds of online stores, ranging from Woolworths to Spotlight and David Jones. By selecting The Willows State School and the online store you want to shop at, you are redirected to that online store as normal, but that store will then donate some of your purchase to the school! You can help fundraise just by doing your normal shopping!

Visit the following link and see our Facebook page for instructions. Thanks for supporting us!

Next P&C Meeting

There are no more P&C Meetings for this year. Our first P&C Meeting for 2018 will be 13th February, and it will be a meet and greet with a sausage sizzle so you can meet your committee and learn a bit about what we do. We’d love to see you there!

Year 6 Graduates

Congratulations to our Year 6 class of 2017. We are very proud of how far you’ve come and are confident you are all ready to tackle the next stage of your lives – High School! We wish you all the very best of luck for the future in all that you do.

To all our newest members of the Willows Family, from our 2018 preppies to our transfers, welcome and we are sure you will enjoy your time here.

Have a fun and safe Christmas break. See you all in 2018.

TUCKSHOP NEWS

Well it has been another busy term for the Tuckshop.

We are excited to announce that we have SLUSHY's back up and running for the last week with our new machine!!

Just a reminder that we are closed Thursday and Friday next week for cleaning. Please make sure you pack lunch for your children.

We would like to put a huge thank you out to all our volunteers who tirelessly give up their time to help us out. We would like to thank Allanah, Kristine, Juana, Krystal, Michelle, Shelley and Johnno.

We would also like to say thank you to Gaynor for the last 6 months who has filled in for Rosie while she has been on maternity leave. Gaynor is now heading off to new pastures in WA. We would like to say congratulations on filling those huge shoes for Rosie, it has been a pleasure working with you and we will miss you.

Wishing all the families at the school a safe and Merry Christmas!! We look forward to seeing you all back in the New Year.

From all the Tuckshop Ladies
Gaynor, Megan, Anita, Nadine, Robyn and Rosie

DEFENCE NEWS

Hello all Defence Families.

The end of the school year is nearly here. WOW what a year is has been. This year has been an incredibly busy year for all families coming and going with postings and it is always challenging when a family member is deployed for a period of time. I have watched many students face these challenges during the year and learn many life skills that will stay with them throughout their lives. Parents you can be very proud of your amazing children and what they have achieved this year. Always make contact with the DSTA/DTM at your new school. Don’t forget to look up https://www.defencecommunityhub.org.au for loads of information on your new location. A must see.

Good luck to all families who are moving from our school. May you all have the best adventure and a great move.

POSITIVE RESILIENT CHILDREN MAKE FOR POSITIVE RESILIENT LEARNERS.

I would like to wish each and every family a Very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Wonderful New Year. Enjoy the time with all your family even if they are near and far. Thank you again for all the support you have showed me throughout this year. Look forward to seeing you all in 2018.

We had our Farewell party last week for all defence students who are posted/leaving the school at the end of the year. I can tell by all the smiles that everyone had a great time. We had sausages sizzle, cake, chips and lollies. I will miss you all. Have fun and make many friends at your new school.

KOOKABURRA KIDS is being offered in Qld for the first time next year. It is a program for kids of serving and ex-serving ADF families. They support kids who have a parent with a mental illness as a result of their military life. They are holding an activity day on Thursday 15th February, location to be announced. Children and families make their way to the venue to meet Kookaburra Kids. A Camp for Primary school students is also being offered in April. Further details contact Suzy 02 9525 7474 suzy@kookaburrakids.org.au Sounds like an awesome experience.

If you are finding lifes challenges overwhelming my door is always open. Don’t forget you are Welcome to come to L pod for a chat/cuppa, any day from 8:00am until 3:00pm

Deployments are a part of the Defence Force family lifestyle. PLEASE LET THE SCHOOL KNOW IF A LOVED ONE IS GOING AWAY. The impact of a parent’s absence due to a deployment can have a huge impact on the whole family, especially children. Sometimes, children lack the language to communicate or understand their feelings and can often express themselves with behaviour that is inappropriate or out of character. At TWSS we aim to support students during parental absence due to a deployment by; engaging the children in a variety of activities that allow them to identify the emotions they may feel during a parental absence; share their experiences with other defence children who may also have a parent away; read books especially written to help children cope with deployments; and create craft items at Kids Club to help the child communicate with the absent parent. Make sure you let your child’s teacher and DSTA know if you or a partner will be away for an extended period of time. Having this knowledge will go towards supporting the student at school.

EDUCATION ASSISTANCE is important for all students. The EAS Education Assistance SCHEME- is where all defence families can access financial assistance for education costs incurred as a result of postings. Students may be entitled to up to 14 weeks of tutoring in any subject that has been identified by the school as representing a gap in learning. We may reimburse fees for tutoring required to fill any gaps in understanding or curriculum caused by changing schools. You have 18 months from starting at a new school to access and complete the tutoring. This scheme is very beneficial for students’. Please see me if you would like assistance to complete the form. Or you can ring the Helpline for updates 1800 624 608.

Are you on the DCO mailing List?

Join DCO Townsville mailing list NOW if you want to receive updates from DCO. Contact them directly at dco.townsville@defence.gov.au or phone 07 4753 6539.

Want to know about upcoming DCO programs, events, and activities or information about events and services in the wider North Queensland community you need to be on the mailing list. You can e-mail DCO office in Townsville dco.townsville@defence.gov.au and leave details, name, member name, address, email, mob/home number, children’s names or collect a form from me. I have attached a copy of the form below.

Townsville Gone Troppo Newsletter

DCO Townsville's Gone Troppo Newsletter is available to view on the DCO website and click on the latest edition to download

DATES AND ACTIVITIES TO REMEMBER

Welcome to Townsville 2018 - Information Expo organised by DCO. On Saturday 17th February 2018 from 10:00am-1:00pm.

KOOKABUURA KIDS PROGRAM FOR KIDS OF SERVING AND EX-SERVING ADF FAMILIES WHO HAVE A PARENT WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS.

Are you looking for a Job? Come and join Employment Pathways Workshops.

VVCS NQ GROUP PROGRAMS AVAILABLE NOW FOR VETERANS, PARENTS, PARTNERS AND FAMILIES TO ATTEND, CALL 1800 011 046 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Yoga Classes @ Geckos on Mondays 18.30-19.30 cost $5/session

Bootcamp Tuesdays and Thursdays @Geckos 18.00-19.00 cost $10/session.

CONTACTS

Defence Community Organisation is available to all Defence members and their families.

Defence Family Helpline operates 24-7 on 1800 624 608 or e-mail defencefamilyhelpline@defence.gov.au

Mates4Mates (Family Recovery Centre) 40 Anne Street – 4771 9600
Support and Mental Health Services for ADF Families
Townsville Community Mental Health- 4433 3000
Centacare-4772 9000
Relationships Australia-1300 364 277

Veterans and Veterans Families – 1800 011 046 (eligibly applies)

Defence Special Needs Support Group- 1800 037 674 for local delegate details

DFA Defence Families of Australia – 1800 100 509

National Delegate for Northern Queensland - nth.qld@dfa.org.au

Have a great week and remember
Correna Wheeler